Ornamental rail structures



Sept. 22, 1959 L. BLUM ORNAMENTAL RAIL STRUCTURES Filed June 16, 1955 v INVENTOR.

United States Patent v V 2,905,445 ORNAMENTAL RAIL STRUCTURES Louis Blum, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Blumcraft of U Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., a firm Application June 16, 1955, Serial No. 515,902 6 Claims. (Cl. 256-65) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ornamental rail structures, more particularly to means for mounting and fastening ornamental rails to wall brackets or supporting posts, and it is among the objects thereof .to provide special clamping means for securing ornamental shaped rails at the under face thereof without engaging or obstructing the top and side faces of the rail to interfere with the gripping thereof.

It is afurther object of the invention to provide special means for anchoring the rail clamping members to a hollow rail support.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide end caps for the ends of the rails and the top of the posts, which shall be secured therein by a wedging member, and which shall also be serviceable as a clamp anchoring means. These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

- Fig. l isan isometric view in elevation, partially in section, of a fragmentary portion of ornamental hand rails and supporting posts;

Fig. 2, an exploded view of a portion of an ornamental rail and clamp therefor;

Fig. 3, an end elevational view, partially in crosssection, of an ornamental rail clamp post and clamp supporting bracket; and,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a dovetail shape rail supporting posts of hollow construction extruded of aluminum or the like; the numeral 2, an ornamental rail of similar shape supported on the post 1 by clamps 3. The rails 2 are of hollow construction and are provided with end caps 4, which are secured inside of the rail 2 by a wedging action, as will be hereinafter explained. The rail supporting post 1 is also provided with an end cap 5 of similar construction as the end caps 4, to which the clamping element 3 of the upper rail is secured, as shown in Fig. 3. With reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing, the dovetail shape hollow rails 2 are engaged by clamps generally designated by the numeral 3, which consists of a cylindrical member 6 having a threaded interior for receiving a stud 7 having a swivel end 8 pivotally mounted at 9, so that when inserted in an opening 10 of the rail supporting post 1, the swivel member 8 will assume the upright position, as shown in Fig. l, and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. By turning the barrel, or cylindrical member 6, on the threaded portion of the stud 7, it can be drawn up tight to cause the swivel end 8 of the stud 7 to abut the wall of the rail supporting post 1 to securely hold the barrel 6 thereon. The member 6 is provided with a reduced portion 11, which acts as a pilot or guide for a clamping cylinder 12, that has a cylindrical recess 13 for sliding engagement with the pilot element 11. Both the members 6 and 12 are provided with fiat seating surfaces 14, with V-shaped notches 15, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the 2,905,445 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 drawing, so that when assembled, as shown in Fig. 3, they constitute a dovetail recess for receiving the base of the ornamental rail 2. A screw 16 passes through the end of the member 12 and into a threaded portion of the reduced pilot 11 of cylinder 6, and when the screw 16 is drawn up, it will force the cylindrical clamping element 12 to slide on the pilot element 11 to effect clamping engagement with the notched portion of cylinder 6 to firmly engage the rail element 2 and secure it in place.

The type of mounting and clamping element of Fig. 2 is utilized on the bottom and intermediate rails of Fig. l and the top rail, while it employs the clamping element of Fig. 2, utilizes a stud bolt 17 for mounting the cylindrical member 6 on the end closure 5 of the supporting post 1. This end closure 5, as shown in Fig. l, is of dovetail shape and has a reduced portion 18 that fits in the inner wall of the supporting post 1 having sliding engagement therewith. The member 5 is recessed at 19 to form prongs 20, and a plunger of dovetail shape 21 is disposed in the recess 19 where it may be drawn upward by means of a bolt 22. As the bolt is turned, the plunger 21, which is also of dovetail shape, will be drawn upward and spread the prongs 20 to effect clamping engagement with the rail post 1 that is serving the twofold purpose of a clamp support for the clamp 6 and a closure for the top of the post 1.

The end closures 4 with the hollow rails 2, are of the same construction as the closure 5 on the post 1, to effect clamping engagement with the inner wall of the rails 2 to firmly secure the end closures in place.

It is evident from the foregoing description of this 'invention that ornamental rail clamps and closures made in accordance therewith, provide a simple expedient assembly and efiicient support without interference with the free use of the railing and greatly enhance the ornamental elfect where dovetail shape designs and extrusions are employed. It is evident that such railings may be assembled at the place of use with no tools required except a drill for drilling the openings 10 in the post for receiving the studs 7.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. In an ornamental rail structure, ornamental post means, ornamental rail means having a dovetail shape base portion and an upper hand-gripping portion, separate V-shape clamping means in juxtaposition forming a dovetail shape recess receiving and clamping the dovetail shape base portion of said rail means and exposing the upper portion of said rail means for hand-gripping, connecting means rigidly connecting said clamping means and said rail means in spaced relation to said post means and threaded bolt means passing through said clamping means forcing and retaining said clamping means together.

2. In an ornamental rail structure, ornamental rail means having a dovetail shape base portion and an upper hand-gripping portion, clamping means supporting said rail means comprising a pair of separate clamping members having substantially V-shape portions joined to form a complementary dovetail shape and recess receiving and clamping the said dovetail shape base portion of said rail means with the upper portion of the rail means exposed for hand-gripping and holding means holding said separate clamping members together and rigidly clamping said rail means comprising internally threaded means on one side of said clamping means and a threaded bolt disposed within said clamping means and in threaded engagement with said internally threaded means.

means, ornamental means having" a dovetait' shape base portion and an upper hand-gripping portion, means connecting said rail. means in spaeed angplar relation to saidmost means "coniprisiiigj p'f f 'se'paratej cramping memhergthefirst of-said enm iii; v fig'rigidly' amid "as said post means andfextendi'ng ontwardlif there f fiom, the second of 'said clamping jmembers being can: nectd t'o. said'firs't clamping member: bizithreadedfbbtt nieaiis, said "clamping members nav'nig eom iiaema y shape-portions forining a dovetail recess? 'reeeiYing'tli'e dovetail fshape portion of .said rail 'riieafis' and exposing theupper por ion of said raitfimanjs fer hand' gripping: 4; In. an: ornamental rail! 'stnicnire ornamental post me n,;om1a na1 raiYmeans ha a dditetail sha e Base porti'om-and 'an upper. haiid gripp ng port'ion; means for-istipporting said railmeans on said pesrmeansmm; prising} a pair of "separate clamping mem ers having notches smearmfirm a dovtailfshapje" recess fort re ceit irig th ezdovetail' snap'e basep'ortio'n "or saidraitmeafis the ripper portion thereof exposed for hand-gripping; the first orsaidfclampingmemb rs having ja reee'ss .the at second of said. clamping? members having means 'f r 3, In -an oiriaaental'iair stfilcture, ornamental post base portion of said rail means and exposing the upper portion'of 's'a'rd rail means'fer hanfigripping: theinternat bore of one of said clamping members being threaded for threaded engagement with a bolt and bolt means disposed within said internal bores and threadably engaging the threaded internal bore of one of said clamping members.

6. In an ornamentalraii'stfticture, ornamental post means, difiiainetitzfllirai'li means havingta: dovetail shape base -portion and an upper hand-griPPing.portion, meansv i 'pp atdi ilii eans irsaid iiestiheanscom rising a pair of separate clamping menihers joined to form a V dovetail shape-'refsess'freciiiiiigasaidndovetaikshape base portion with themppenportion of, said rail means exposed for hand-gripping, afiist mnwna'a swivel at one end and threaded at the other end, the first of said clamping members having a threaded end receiving the threaded end ofi said first bolt, said post means having. an

ta'ehment with said post means and hailirigflaninferior}? threaded lextensidn fors1iding=movement in the recess "in th e fiiist said- =e1amping member, and a bifixtendifig thrbtig hlsaid' second clamping membeti into the 'interiofiy threaded extension ofsaidifiirs't clamping m berifor drawing s'aid'clamping memrersaifite dam ing-en age ment .withsaid rail.

n' an ornamentairaii' strHctnre, ornam'entafrail means havinga dovetail shape base portion and an u er irig member rat drawing sawmemsers'ifita campsite,

hand grippingi portion, clamping means supportingsaid means comprising a pair ofi -separate- :1ai m'ping jm'em bere each. of said clampingmmemb ers comprising, Y- shapedrnotch means andhavin'g an internal bore for re cewiiigathieadd bblt'fsaidv shape notchl means form iiig. a dovetai1."shape recess receiving-the dovetailshape retaining said fir'st clamping member in rigid engagement. wan-said post means, said 'fir'si'icl'amp'ing' inrembenhaving int'erio'rl'y threaded extension at the ehdfthereof op: poslfie saidi eaded end; the "se'c'ond.of' saidi'elafnping members having; a 'rec'ess' forrefeeitiihg "sai'd extension and a second bolt extending-through said see enablampmg member into the threaded extension of said fiistjfclanipengagement with said rail means. I 7, 1 tiara-mat ed ir'ithefilebftfii'patent UNITEDSTATESiPATfiNTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 2 905 445 September 22, 1959 I Louis Blrqm, I

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent vrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2 line 64 strike out "and" first occurrence;

column 3 line 27 for "second read first 3 line 28 for illst" read second 5 column 4 line 3 7 for "Hauhenstein" read Hauenstein Signed and sealed this 3rd day of April 1962.,

(SEAL). Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER 4 DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

